Fitness Expert David Kirsch on How to Raise a Healthy Family (His Advice is Jennifer Lopez-Approved!)

If your 2016 New Years resolution is to get healthy, why not make your whole family part of the effort?
In his new book, Ultimate Family Wellness, fitness expert, nutrition advocate and wellness guru David Kirsch explains how to ensure a healthy lifestyle for parents and children alike.

“As parents, we have a responsibility to teach our family and our children everything they need to know about good health and eating and movement, and just an everyday healthy life,” Kirsch tells PEOPLE.

A father to 6-year-old twin girls himself, Kirsch has worked to find organic ways to include fitness and healthy eating in his children’s lives.

“Whether it’s having dance parties or doing yoga or cooking together, I infuse that into everyday life so it becomes a ritual,” he says. “I’m not advocating children going to the gym – it’s about the simple joy of movement.”

And it’s not just about encouraging your children to be physically active – it’s about participating with them.

“Move with them, be active with them – whether it’s swimming or scooting or bicycling or playing soccer,” says Kirsch. “Engage your child.”

Kirsch also recommends eating healthily in front of your children, and making time for family dinners.

“You have to live that life,” he says. “If they see it, then that’s what they know. Consistency is the most important thing.”

Kirsch has dispensed his family health advice to many of his famous clients, including Jennifer Lopez, who is such a fan that she wrote the foreword to his latest book.

“She embraced the concept of the book because my message resonated with her,” says Kirsch. “We’re both busy, but you find time to connect and engage with your children. You find time to sit down and have a proper meal with your children. These are things you establish early on. And these are very healthy lessons.”